A Captain's observations
by Doc Lee
Summary: Captain Quentin Lance is trained to observe, which can come in handy when observing the Arrow. A fluffy little plot that's circled my head for a while now. Reviews welcome. Enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

This has sat on my iPad for a while now, just a random plot that (hopefully) will leave a smile on your face. Hope you all enjoy and all reviews constructive comments are welcome :)

Disclaimer - the people that own Arrow are the people that own Arrow, I am not one of those people.

* * *

Quentin Lance stood by the side of the ambulance, his role as Captain taking his attention away from the young blonde sat on the gurney inside. The convenience store hold up was something that had pulled him away from a lovely lunch with Sara to deal with the two amateur crooks. The situation was over by the time he'd arrived with the hostage takers arguing with themselves and shooting each other dead over what was reported to be a bottle of cola.

That was the first shock of the last hour, the second had been when Felicity Smoak emerged out the building, an EMT holding her left wrist carefully.

'Are you sure you're okay Felicity?' Lance watched the warm smile cross her face.

'As lovely as your concern is Q,' Felicity beamed, 'I'm fine, i just slipped in a puddle of OJ and landed on my wrist. Gareth here says it's not broken, but a bad sprain. I'll be fine in a few days.'

'Good,' Lance breathed a sigh of relief. In the aftermath of Laurel's death at the hands of Malcolm Merlyn, Lance had been shocked when Felicity had started talking to him more and not just about the Arrow. He'd found himself enjoying the young woman's company and a surrogate parental bond had grown out of the various lunches, afternoon coffees and random wandering phone calls,'I was worried when I saw you walking out of that building. You seem to get yourself into some sort of crazy situation almost weekly and you've no idea how worried that makes me... And stop calling me Q.'

'Never,' Felicity giggled, 'I know you like it. I've seen your DVD collection and the Bond shelf.'

'Can you give us a minute Gareth?' Lance smiled at the technician. He waited until the man had stepped far enough away before he dropped his voice, 'I'm shocked that our mutual friend hasn't appeared yet, where is he?'

'Across town, we...' Felicity suddenly froze, her hand coming up to her ear. Lance instinctively stepped closer when Felicity jumped, a pained look on her face, 'I'm here, you don't need to shout you know!'

Lance bit back a smirk at the exasperated groan that left the blonde.

'No,' Felicity firmly declared, 'You don't need to do that... Because I'm fine, that's why. I'm perfectly, completely fine and you don't need to do your crazy rooftop gymnastics to get over here... Because you might miss a jump and where would this city be?'

'I know you haven't missed a jump yet,' Felicity groaned, 'But that's not the point... Because it isn't. Stay where you are and I'll be back at the lair in about an hour or so... Yes, that's an order, so follow it or I'll put itching powder in your leathers again.'

'Itching powder?' Lance laughed loudly, 'you really put that in his suit? Are you insane?'

'He deserved it!' Felicity cried out in annoyance, a grin on her face as Lance held his arm out to help her down out the ambulance, 'He was showing off to... Someone... And put a goddamn arrow through my monitor! I spent weeks setting up that system just to my liking and he went and almost wrecked it!'

'He was showing off?' Lance was surprised, 'He does that?'

'He's human Quentin,' Felicity sighed, spinning and prodding him in the shoulder, 'Just like you and me. He gets grumpy, he gets silly and he gets goddamn annoying sometimes... Huh?'

Felicity paled suddenly, her long hair whipping about as she searched the nearby rooftops, 'I told you not to come down here!'

A soft thump nearby was missed by the majority of the gathered crowd, the source of the sound hovering beside the ambulance.

'You told me you were unhurt!' The Arrow barked, his green bulk stalking towards Felicity. Stopping before her, he grabbed her fingers gently, 'This doesn't look unhurt to me.'

'Says the idiot that tried to pass off a freaking kebab stick through the arm last week as being just a flesh wound!' Felicity huffed, 'You aren't the black knight.'

'No,' The arrow's lips twitched, 'I'm green.'

'Don't make me call you Kermit again,' Felicity poked the Arrow in the chest, Lance suddenly registering how close the two were standing to each other, 'When the idiots burst in, the kid next to me dropped his carton of OJ and like a doofus I slipped in it and sprained my wrist. It's barely registering pain right now, so stop your incessant worrying and tell Artemis that she needs to remember to wear her earpiece when she's with you. I know she...'

'Enough,' The arrow growled, 'Stop babbling and just... Stop.' His hands shot out and gripped Felicity's arm. Lance quietly observed as he quickly removed the bandage, his eyes watching Felicity's face while he gently pressed his fingers onto her skin, 'Yeah, just a sprain.'

'We knew that!' Felicity responded, her voice smaller than normal, but with the usual vigor, 'You just undid Gareth's work to find out what we told you already!'

'Who?' The Arrow cocked his head, his eyes following Felicity's other hand to where the now nervous EMT stood, 'Not a bad wrap job, but you needed to leave it with a little more give than you had. Keeps the restriction, but not enough to cause damage.'

'The Arrow gives First Aid advice now?' Lance quipped as the bandage was quickly replaced, 'Really?'

'You need to go,' Felicity let out a chuckled sigh at the man before her, 'I'm okay... Okay?'

Lance's eyes nearly fell out his head when the Arrow reached under Felicity's chin and stroked his thumb over her cheek, 'Are you sure you're okay?'

'I'm sure,' Felicity sighed, 'I'm not fragile, despite this little sprain. I've survived far worse than this, I have the bullet wound to prove it.'

'Did you just say what I think you said?' Lance stepped forward, his voice full of shock and concern. Turning to the Arrow, he growled, 'What the hell are you doing with her to get her shot?'

'Her is right here Q,' Felicity rolled her eyes and sighed at the two men squaring up to each other, the EMT silently backing away in the corner of her vision, 'He did nothing, it was all me... Well, I didn't exactly shoot myself, so you can blame Tockman for that. He had a shot on Canary that could have... I threw myself at her and he got me in my shoulder,' Felicity rolled her right shoulder, 'Which, as you can see, is perfectly fine. I had enough of a time convincing this guy,' Felicity jabbed her finger into Oliver's chest, 'That I was okay and that he wasn't going to chain me to the desk again...'

Lance heard the choke beside him, his eyes blinking slowly when the Arrow seemed to shift nervously. Both the Arrow and Felicity hissed as a faint whift of laughter rained down from the nearby rooftops, embarrassed blue eyes turning to glare at the skyline.

'That is not what I meant and you all know it,' Felicity mumbled, 'I really hate my mouth sometimes.'

'I don't...' This time the laughter from the rooftops was far stronger than before, Lance turning away from the two frozen people beside him to glance towards the louder source.

'That is not what I meant either,' The Arrow gruffly coughed and shifted back from Felicity, the blonde's face turning a deeper shade of red than her top, 'You...'

'I think it's best if you just stop right there buddy,' Lance rolled his eyes as his name was called from behind him, 'You're rubbing off on him more than you thought Felicity.'

The flush on Felicity's face seemed to deepen further and Lance groaned, 'Wat the hell is wrong with you two?'

'EVERYTHING!' A voice bellowed from the rooftops, the clear distortion on the voice not disguising the accompanying laugh from being one that Lance would recognise everywhere and anywhere as being from his only living daughter.

'I have the photos from Vegas,' Felicity glared at the rooftops, 'Right here on my phone. Go back to the lair and wait for us... I'm not bluffing Canary... Try me...'

'Go,' The Arrow growled, his head turned upwards, 'I'll be back soon.'

'You need to go as well,' Felicity smiled warmly at the Arrow, her eyes shining bright, 'I'm fine. You need to stop this growly-ness when someone gets a little ache.'

'Felicity...' The Arrow sighed.

'She has a point son,' Lance stepped forward, 'we need to take a statement and that needs to be done sooner than later. Go home, Or wherever it is you go when you aren't racing around Starling stopping crime, and relax.'

The Arrow's shoulders slumped when Felicity stepped back from him, 'Stay on Comms the entire time.'

'Or what?' Lance frowned at the gentle threat, the soft smile on the Arrow's face at odds with the tone.

'I'll dismantle the Salmon Ladder,' Felicity gasped in horror at the threat, Lance's confusion deepening further. A loud bark of a laugh rained down from the rooftops, a few heads around Lance turning upwards.

'That is cruel and unusual punishment,' Felicity scoffed, 'And I think you love that thing more than I do, so it won't be going anywhere.'

'You two can have your lovers quarrel later,' Lance huffed, 'I'll take Felicity's statement and get her back to you in one piece in an hour or so. You,' Lance pointed at the Arrow, 'Need to get out of here before someone decides to try and get a photo.'

Both Felicity and the Arrow twitched, the former rolling her eyes, 'Artemis has a point, you did promise her you'd show her that trick. Go,' She pushed the Arrow in the chest, 'I'll be fine.'

'You said you'd be fine going here,' The Arrow waved his hand towards the building, 'But...'

A camera shutter click cut into the small group and Lance was glad that the photographer had been stopped from getting a clearer angle by the EMT, 'Get out of here.'

The Arrow sighed heavily, his hand stroking over Felicity's cheek earning a softly spoken response from the blonde, 'I'm fine and I will be fine.'

'One hour Lance,' The Arrow growled and stepped back from Felicity. Raising his bow, he fired off a grappling arrow and disappeared into the evening gloom.

'Guys,' Felicity stared at the rooftops, 'Make sure he gets back to the lair in one piece...Tough, you just spent five minutes coddling me, why can't i do the same to you?'

Lance chuckled, his elbow offered to Felicity's uninjured arm. The clear leader of the unofficially named 'Team Arrow' scoffed and took the offered arm, 'Thought so... I'm turning you all down until I'm done. Remember, I know where all the blackmail is.'

'Did you just threaten to blackmail someone while being escorted by a police captain?' Lance schooled his face into a stern glare, the laughter in his chest fighting to get out at the expression of horror on Felicity's face.

'Frak!' the blonde started to panic, 'No, no, no... I didn't, I never said anything.'

'Relax,' Lance's laughter rumbled, 'I'm just messing with you. Shall we get this statement done?'

Almost an hour later the door to the emergency command truck that was stationed near to the building opened and Lance guided Felicity down the steps.

'Oh come on,' The young blonde groaned at the sight of Oliver Queen sat astride his Ducati motorbike, a spare helmet strapped to the back of the machine, 'No, no way.'

'I take it you don't like riding that thing?' Lance smirked as Oliver approached, the Captain waving his arm when Oliver was questioned at the tape.

'That death trap? I hate it.' Felicity scoffed, a frown crossing her face when Lance's phone beeped and he smirked.

'I'm so glad you're okay Felicity,' Oliver wrapped her up in a tight hug, his lips pressing into her hair, 'I've been scared out of my mind since I found out.'

'I'm fine Oliver,' Felicity's reply was muffled against the leather biker jacket he wore, 'You didn't need to come, I can get home just fine. It was my wrist that was sprained, not anything else and I'm telling you now that I'm not getting on that... Thing.'

'The car's in the shop,' Oliver smirked, Felicity knowing instantly that he was lying and that he'd brought the bike deliberately, 'And John is off with Sara...' Oliver glanced at Lance, 'My bodyguard had a daughter recently, hIs fiancé adores the name Sara, so that's what they named her. I didn't mean...'

'You're definitely rubbing off on this guy,' Lance rolled his eyes when Felicity blushed, a sense of deja vue striking him. Oliver's warm laughter snapped him back from his thoughts and the father shook his head and waggled his hand towards the bike, 'Go, get this one out of here and home safely Queen.'

'That last bit is a given Lance,' Oliver's mirth was replaced briefly by a look that told the older man that the former playboy was being deadly serious, 'I think the gang are hunkered down over there waiting for you, Thea's been walking a stripe into your carpet and we've not been able to keep her sat down.'

Both Oliver and Felicity twitched, their heads jerking to the left in unison, the former wincing as Felicity sighed, 'Okay, okay. What is it with you wanting me astride that thing any...way...'

The downright dirty smirk on threatening to appear on Oliver's face stopped Lance's laughter in it's tracks, 'Don't you dare Queen. Get out of here before I decide to take her home myself.'

'Gladly,' Oliver stepped back from Felicity, but one arm stayed wrapped around her body to hold her to him, 'Before we embarrass ourselves further.'

'I'll call you in the morning honey,' Lance gave Felicity a warm smile, 'Get some rest.'

'She will,' Oliver nodded, Felicity giving Lance a waggle of her fingers and a wide smile.

'See you later Q,' Lance groaned at the nickname, the blonde giggling softly as Oliver lead her towards the bike. Just as he was about to turn away, Lance paused at the way Oliver's hand tipped Felicity's chin up and his thumb stroked over her cheek as he leant down and gently covered her lips with his.

'Boy,' Lance muttered, 'if you want your secret to stay secret, then you need to stop making it so damned easy to guess it.'


	2. Chapter 2

Thank you to the guest reviewer 'Rose' for getting this additional chapter going with her review for the first chapter. Wasn't planning on doing any more of this one until I read her comments. Hope this is what you were thinking when you suggested it.

Disclaimer - the people that own Arrow are the people that own Arrow. I am not one of those people.

* * *

Quentin Lance grimaced as the Arrow sat up, the low grunt leaving the Vigilante's lips when he saw the un- natural angle his right ankle had recently acquired.

'I'd call for a bus,' Lance crouched beside the Arrow, 'But I doubt you'd want it to get out that the deadly vigilante was laid up by a kitten.'

'Stop laughing,' The Arrow growled, his head turned to the side telling Lance that he was talking to Felicity Smoak or another member of Team Arrow.

'Think you can hobble to my car?' Lance jerked his thumb over his shoulder at the charger behind him, 'I can then take you to where you can get this treated.'

'That would be useful Captain,' The Arrow sighed, the irritation clear in his voice. Lance hissed when he saw the trickle of blood run down from under the mask, the Arrow sighing at the sound, 'I've had worse. You don't need to worry about a little bump on the head.'

'The fact you're running about dressed like this,' Lance slung an arm under the Arrow's shoulders, a leather clad limb copying him across his, 'Does suggest there's nothing up there to injure.'

'Shut up Felicity,' The Arrow growled half heartedly, the rebuke softened by the warm tone, 'You didn't need to agree with him.'

'Just shows how right I am,' Lance held the door to his car open, the Arrow scowling as he hopped in, 'There's a first aid kit in the glovebox, use it before you get blood on my nice clean car.'

'I'm fine,' The Arrow huffed as Lance shut the door and quickly hurried round to the other side.

'I've had worse than this,' Lance rolled his eyes at the defiant tone, glancing over before he started the vehicle.

'I don't care,' Lance's stubbornness came in handy as the two men stared each other, both waiting for the other to back down. The twitch of the Arrow's jaw told Lance that he was being scolded by Felicity and he couldn't help but chuckle.

'Are we going to drive anywhere or not?' the Arrow grumbled, his attention turning to his ankle. Lance took the opportunity to reach out with his right hand and tug on the hood, his other hand reaching for the glovebox. He'd barely moved before his right wrist was being gripped tightly, the Arrow's deadly growl aimed at him, 'What. The hell. Are you doing?'

Lance snapped his hand back from the grip and rolled his eyes, his left hand rubbing at his wrist, 'You idiot.'

'I repeat my last question,' The Arrow's hand shot to the door handle as he spoke, the intention to leave clear as day.

'Stop being an idiot Queen,' Lance almost laughed at the way the Arrow's eyes blew open under the mask, his jaw dropping in shock, 'You really think I didn't know? How stupid do you think I am?' A finger shot up and Lance groaned, 'Don't you dare answer that.'

Oliver Queen sighed and glanced around the car before he reached up and lowered his hood, the cut to his forehead revealed as the source of the blood, 'How long?'

'A while,' Lance handed him the first aid kit, leaving Oliver to tend to his head as he drove away, 'I jumped the gun, but I was obviously right. You're the Arrow.'

'You have Harper dressing up like a disturbed Santa alongside Sara running about in an outfit that gives me a freaking stroke every time I see her,' Lance didn't miss the mirth filled huff from Oliver, 'Laugh now son, but when you and Felicity eventually have a kid,' The sharp intake of breath from Oliver wasn't just about the press of the antiseptic wipe to his head, 'Then I hope it's a beautiful little girl and you get to suffer through all the issues that she'll bring you.'

'What are you going to do?' Oliver's voice held a hint of nerves and Lance glanced over to see him watching the older man intently.

'I'm going to take you back to Verdant and let your lot take care of you,' Lance replied simply, 'then I'm going to go home and enjoy a nice pizza.'

'You're not going to turn me in?' Oliver blinked.

'If I was going to do that,' Lance scoffed, 'then I would have done it last week when you turned up at Felicity's little hostage drama an hour after the Arrow said he'd wait for her and proceeded to hold her exactly like the Arrow had done. You need to be more careful than that Son.'

'I know,' Oliver winced, 'We're usually more careful than that, but...'

'I understand completely,' Lance nodded, his face on the road, 'You needed to make sure she was okay. I get that feeling, just make sure you do it when people aren't watching.'

Oliver spluttered, 'That is not what he meant Felicity.'

'That woman looks all innocent,' Lance shook his head and laughed, 'But she'd got an amazing ability to find the innuendo in anything.'

'It's one of the things that had me falling for her,' Oliver quietly admitted, both men knowing she was listening in on the conversation, 'Her zest for life and the way she makes mine brighter.'

The car fell silent until they arrived at Verdant, John Diggle standing under the canopy by the main entrance.

'A kitten,' Diggle deadpanned the moment he opened the car door, 'You're a ruthless archer and you get taken down by a fluffy kitten.'

'Don't,' Oliver glared as he was helped out the car, 'Just don't.'

'And you didn't spend a month taunting Roy for putting an arrow into a stuffed bear?' Diggle smirked, his attention turning to Lance, 'thank you Quentin.'

'It's the least I could do,' Lance handed Diggle Oliver's bow and quiver.

'Lance,' Oliver's hand grabbed the door when Diggle started to close it, 'We were going to have some pizza downstairs in a bit. If you want, then you are more than welcome to join us. I know Sara would love being able to show you around the Lair.'

'The Lair?' Lance cocked an eyebrow, the offer tempting him greatly.

'Just one of a number of different names for the basement,' Diggle chuckled.

'Why not?' Lance shrugged, 'Will be better than lounging around the house on my own.'

'Good,' Diggle braced his arm around Oliver, 'This guy is heavy and I don't want to lug his fat ass down there on my own.'

'The last time you wore the suit we had to get it sewn back together, so who's the one with the real fat ass?' Oliver's bickering was cut off when Lance pulled the door shut and parked the car. The two men were still bickering when Lance rejoined them, the banter continuing long into the night over the various pizzas and stories the group shared.


	3. Chapter 3

This is the plot that won't die! Here's another chapter that hit me earlier and wouldn't let me go until it was written and posted.

Disclaimer - the people that own Arrow are the people that own Arow. I am not one of those people.

* * *

Quentin Lance grumbled as he clattered down the rickety metal staircase, 'You've had your company back for a year now Queen and are rolling in the dough again, so why haven't you fixed this damned staircase yet?'

'Best early warning system around,' Oliver Queen shrugged nonchalantly, 'beats all the electronic trickery my wife has put in this place, much to her disgust I might add, as you can't stop the bastard from creaking. It even stopped Nyssa from being able to sneak in here last week.'

'Fair enough,' Lance looked round the empty Lair in confusion, 'this place is never quiet anymore. Where is everyone?'

'Felicity's a little under the weather, so I thought I'd send Roy and Thea out on their own for a bit,' Oliver pointed over his shoulder to the shape curled up on the cot in the corner of the room, Felicity's face highlighted by the soft glow of her tablet computer, 'Dig is having a family night and Sara's off doing... Something with Nyssa. If you're here then I can head out and help the 52nd precinct with it's purse snatching problem.'

'I don't need a babysitter Oliver!' Felicity waved her tablet in his direction, 'I've just got food poisoning from those damned kosher burgers you failed to cook properly last week. I'm fine!'

'Ray caught you hurling into a bucket!' Oliver rolled his eyes, 'That's not fine by anyone's measure.'

'You two have been married what,' Lance sighed, 'Two months and you're already bickering like my parents did after 40 years. Get going Oliver, before you end up sleeping on the couch again.'

Lance placed the paper bag he had been carrying beside Felicity's computers, the twin markers on the screen moving across what he knew to be a series of low level buildings, and pulled out the drink he'd prepared along with the packet of crackers. Busying himself, he ignored the low voices of Oliver and Felicity Queen, the former moving past him almost silently, a chuckle leaving his lips when Oliver creaked the staircase deliberately.

'Watch out for killer kittens Queen!' Lance laughed loudly at the curse thrown back at him before the heavy door to the alleyway slammed shut

'What's up Q?' Felicity appeared next to Lance, the soft blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and plonked herself in her chair with a soft chuckle. Lance huffed and handed Felicity the drink he'd brought.

'It's been what?' Lance couldn't hold back the smirk when Felicity took a sip of the drink and groaned, her face flushing in response to her noise of pleasure, 'Two years and you've still not stopped calling me Q.'

'You love it really,' Felicity gulped at the cool liquid, 'Oh my God, what is this heavenly nectar?'

'Just a little secret recipe my mother handed down to me,' Lance handed over some crackers and dropped into the spare chair, 'And no, it's not going to be found on any computer network, so stop thinking about hacking my head for it.'

'Damn you,' Felicity huffed. Roy's voice sounded out the speaker on the desk before them and the matter was dropped, Lance sneaking Felicity little glances every free minutes, a knowing smile on his face.

* * *

Lance stood back and watched the commotion. Diggle had arrived after a couple of hours, his wife ordering him here to stop him pacing a trail in their carpet. Shortly after that, Sara and Nyssa had arrived, the assassin showing her lighter side as she'd teased Sara for something that had happened earlier that evening.

Roy and Thea, the latter decked out in her unsurprisingly stylish costume of black body armour and a yellow cape, had giggled down the staircase and gone almost directly to the sparring mats. Diggle had mentioned Roy losing a sparring session the night before and how he was determined to settle the slight to his abilities.

Spotting Oliver leaning on the railing, Lance grinned and handed Felicity the final cup of the plastic jug he'd carried the drink in, the dark green liquid causing Sara to splutter and point.

'Dad?' Lance faked confusion, 'Is that Nana Dot's special recipe?'

'Maybe,' Lance waited a beat, Sara's face lighting up in a display of utter glee.

'OH MY GOD!' Sara shot across the Lair floor and grabbed Felicity, pulling her from her chair and spinning her around with a scream, 'OH MY GOD!'

'I... Erm,' Felicity gasped, 'Air.. Sara, can't breathe!'

'Oops,' Sara's smile was blinding as she turned to where Oliver was approaching, 'OLLIE!'

Oliver stopped the vibrating blonde in her tracks and stared at her with a face of a man completely at a loss to a situation, 'With MUCH less screaming, can someone please tell me what the hell is going on?'

'Don't look at me,' Felicity stepped back when the room turned to her, 'I've not got the foggiest about why Sara's gone gaga over me.'

'You're just that loveable Felicity,' Thea giggled, Roy helping her remove the sparring gloves she wore. Beside them, John Diggle narrowed his eyes at Lance, the green drink suddenly hitting home.

'Oh Hell!' Diggle burst out laughing, 'Man, how the hell did you know to do that?'

'Do what?' Oliver's left eye twitched, 'Will someone tell me what's going on?'

'This drink,' Lance held up the nearly empty bottle, 'Is an old family recipe. My grandmother created it before I was born for my mother. It's a concoction that to you and me is utterly disgusting...'

Lance left the room hanging with a dramatic flair, Sara giggling against Nyssa while Diggle smirked, for a few seconds before Oliver's growl told him he'd better continue, 'but when you are pregnant, it's the most amazing drink ever created.'

'Oh...OH!' Felicity turned pale and wobbled, Sara instantly beside her father as they helped her sit down, 'I... I liked the drink.'

'Dude,' Roy glanced at a statuesque Oliver, the usually unflappable Vigilante staring at Lance unblinking in his shock, 'how the hell does that work?'

'I'm not exactly sure to be honest,' Lance shrugged, stepping out the way as Thea barrelled past him with a bucket as Felicity turned a worrying shade of white, 'But, obvious, Felicity's tastebuds are slightly different now she's expecting and the ingredients only work together during this change. Nana Dot told my mother exactly how it worked, but by the time Dinah was expecting, Mom had completely forgotten the reasons. We only have the drink now because Dinah made me memorise the recipe.'

'You in there man?' Diggle slapped Oliver on the back, his wide smile infectious as Roy's face split into a grin, 'Earth to Oliver Queen?'

'Baby?' Oliver blinked.

'Yup,' Roy nodded, 'a tiny squirming, screaming, pooping machine that's... OW!'

'Shut up Harper,' Lance flexed his fingers, his gaze flicking between Oliver and Felicity, 'You two didn't know?'

'No!' Oliver blurted, his face a mixture of fear and intense excitement.

'I... Found out this morning,' Felicity's quiet voice stopped the chatter around her, 'I took a test after Oliver made me go home. It was positive, so I called the QC doctor to the house and she took a blood test that told me I was pregnant.'

'I was going to wait until later to tell you Oliver,' Felicity stared at her husband, 'I didn't want to distract you out there tonight if I told you before you went.'

'Felicity...' Oliver crouched beside her and gripped her shaking hands in his. Neither Oliver or Felicity spoke for a few moments, the room quietly stepping back to allow them a few moments of peace, 'This is amazing!'

'It's scary,' Felicity whispered, the sound carrying in the room, 'We've made a life.'

'I think it's meant to be scary,' Oliver shifted and pressed his lips to his wife's forehead, 'But it's a good scary. It makes us want to be good parents, to be better people. I think the more scared you are the better.'

'Well that's comforting!' Felicity couldn't help but grin at the ripples of laughter that followed her moan, 'No, really. I'm going to mess this up...'

'How?' Roy spoke up, Oliver turning to where the young vigilante stood with his sister wrapped around him, her eyes shining with happiness, 'Look at how you mother us. You keep us mostly under control and if you can do that, then that kid is going to be amazing.'

'Roy!' Felicity burst into tears and launched herself out the chair, Roy looking utterly terrified as the blubbering blonde threw herself at him, 'That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me.'

'Yeah,' Lance muttered softly, 'she's going to be like this for months. You are screwed.'

'I agree with him Oliver,' Diggle grimaced, 'Lyla was a mess for a few weeks when she was pregnant with Jake,' Diggle's face shifted into a soppy grin at his mention of his youngest child, 'I had to hide the weapons for my own safety.'

'But none of it matters when they hand you your kid,' Lance held his hands in front of him wistfully, 'and they open their eyes at you. It's a moment that stays in your head until you move on from this world.'

'Amen to that,' Diggle's face wore the same look and Oliver knew that he would be making the same face in about nine months time.

'Congratulations Oliver Queen,' Nyssa stepped over and bowed, 'May your child be blessed with her mother's looks and her mother's intelligence.'

'Hey!' Oliver grumbled as the room fell about laughing at the rare joke from the Assassin, 'Thats... Accurate I guess.'

'Um,' Thea wiped her chin with the back of her arm and stared at the cup that Felicity had left beside her computer, 'This stuff only tastes good when someone is pregnant right?'

'HARPER!'


	4. Chapter 4

IT'S ALIIIIVE! Man, this little nugget of a chapter popped into my head over the last weekend and stuck. Not entirely happy with how i've ended it, but this is the best version I've done so far. Hope everyone that's enjoyed this series of one shots enjoys this new part. Set between Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 BTW.

Disclaimer - the people that own Arrow are the people that own Arrow... I'm not one of those people.

* * *

Quentin Lance watched Oliver Queen's fingers on his right hand twitch nervously as he stood by the side of the pool watching his friends and remaining family relax in the hot summer heat.

The sight of the archer looking as uneasy as Oliver was made Lance wary and he realised he had sat up and starting to monitor the nearest entry points into the pool area with alarm. If someone had told Lance a year ago that he'd be lounging beside the Queen Mansion's large pool sipping on a cool soda and dressed in his trusty Arsenal Football Club branded swimming shorts watching Team Arrow letting off steam, he'd have carted them off to the mental ward.

But there he sat, soda in hand, on a comfortable lounger under the huge white parasol. A shriek turned his head from the nervous archer to catch Thea Queen's unglamorous entrance to the pool, Roy Harper's laughter joining her spluttering threats of death when she resurfaced.

'Quiet down and deal with it,' Thea squeaked in irritation when Sara Lance floated by on a bright pink rubber ring, the blonde assassin frowning behind a pair of sunglasses as her girlfriend lay beside the pool. Lance didn't think it was possible for Nyssa Raatko, as she had reverted back to after her father's death, to look so serene snoozing beside the pool, a hand dipped in the cool water.

Lance chuckled softly at the sight of his daughter's laid back posture, an image mirrored by Felicity Smoak who lay on an identical ring a few feet down the pool, her ted tipped toes wiggling as the two women soaked in the heat of a typical Star City summer.

'Mark my words Harper,' Thea growled, her head bobbing just above the water, 'My revenge will be swift and brutal.'

'Promises, promises,' Roy smirked. The younger vigilante turned and flinched at the wide shoulders of John Diggle standing at the end of diving board, 'Oh crumbs...'

Lance rolled his eyes at Harper's double somersault combined with a backwards flip and a triple pike... Or whatever it was the kid did before he entered the water.

'Stop freaking the boy out Johnny,' Lyla Diggle sat in the covered hot tub, Sarah Diggle splashing merrily on her mother lap, 'I swear, it's like a sport to that man.'

'Tell me about it,' Dr Caitlin Snow-Raymond rolled her eyes and slumped down into the bubbling water. Donna Smoak chuckled quietly from the other side of the mother and daughter. Lance followed her gaze to where her husband stood beside the grill along with Cisco Ramon and Barry Allen, the trio chatting warmly with Iris West and her father Joe. The two detectives caught each other's gaze, a warm smile crossing the pool before Joe twitched his head towards the statue shape of Oliver with a frown. Lance shrugged in reply and turned to study the billionaire vigilante once more.

A flash of light blinked at Oliver's side and Lance suddenly joined the dots. It had been a surprise when Oliver started suggesting getting both Team Arrow and Team Flash together for a BBQ and his stubborn pressing over two full weeks to find a day for everyone had raised flags for Lance and the small box in Oliver's hand answered them all.

Downing the remainder of his drink, Lance watched Oliver's jaw twitch and thought back to the stuttering mess that was his proposal to Dinah. He'd gone with the trusty picnic ploy on a day not like the one he was in. The sun had beat down on the young couple, Dinah calling Lance out on his strange behaviour while he was still building up to the ultimate question when the ring box had dropped to the ground. Lance saw the same fear on Oliver's face that he'd felt that day.

'I've watched you stare down some of the most dangerous men and women on this planet,' It was testament to how nervous Oliver was that he didn't register Lance approaching until he was stood next to him, 'hell, I've seen you do it to freaking Aliens from other planets. This is a doddle compared to that.'

'What if I'm not enough,' The quiet confession shocked Lance, 'I mean, look at me. I'm scarred inside and out. Every night I'm out risking my life. One wrong move, an inch too fast or too slow and I'm dead. What will that do to her Quentin?'

'Where is this coming from Queen?' Lance caught the curious looks the two solemn men were receiving from both Joe and Diggle while turning to face the younger man, 'You really think that the ring in that box is going to change anything beyond Felicity's last name? That woman loves you. All sides of you. Do you really think that she hasn't thought about what might go wrong, you not coming back one night or... God forbid... You dying on that table like Laurel did?'

'She's fully aware of just what it means to love you,' Lance couldn't quite believe he was convincing Oliver Queen to propose, 'She knows and she's stood beside you willing to risk that heartache because she loves you.'

'But...'

'No buts,' Lance shook his head, 'Do you love her?'

'Completely,' Oliver instantly answered.

'Do you trust her?'

'Completely.'

'Then trust her in this,' Lance clapped the man on the back, 'She'll say yes... Or babble a very long string of words and innuendos that mean the same thing.'

'When you proposed to Dinah...' Oliver turned a slightly less scared face to Lance, 'Was it this scary?'

'Hell yes,' Lance chuckled at the soft intake of breath from Oliver, 'I was a quivering wreck for the week I had the ring in my pocket before I proposed. I had it all planned out. A lovely afternoon picnic with the ring coming out after we'd eaten, but this old clutz dropped the box trying to open the champagne.'

'I even had a long speech,' Lance sighed, 'Spent months on it. The moment Dinah opened the box and turned to stare at me, it ... Vanished. I just dropped to a knee and simply asked her to marry me.'

'I'm sorry Quentin,' Oliver mumbled, Thea's shriek from across the pool joined by Felicity's gentle laughter, 'For everything I've put you and your family through over the years. My actions destroyed your family and I'm going to regret that until my last breath.'

'And Laurel...' Oliver choked out. Lance watched the younger man blink away tears, his own clouding his vision.

'Malcolm Merlyn killed my Laurel,' Lance gripped Oliver's shoulder, 'Not you. He picked her because of a sick, hideous ploy to save his scrawny ass. He killed her, NOT you. I know you like to take the blame for every single thing that goes wrong around here, but you need to get that stupidity out of your head and focus on the people you have saved.'

'Do you know there's a store room down at the precinct filled to the brim with statements from people you and your team have helped out?' Oliver's head snapped up, shock covering his face, 'Yup, hundreds upon hundreds of files, each and every one of them cataloging a life that Team Arrow has saved. You created that, you created the team. You. Have. Saved. Hundreds.'

'Remember that,' Lance plucked the paper cup out of Oliver's hand, gesturing to the rubber ring containing Felicity, 'Now get over there and ask her.'

'Can you hold this for a moment?' Oliver discreetly handed Lance the ring box and cannonballed into the pool.

'OLIVER!' Felicity glowered over her shades at a grinning archer, her now drenched body shivering. She squeaked at the silent tug on her ankle, Oliver pulling her towards the end of the pool Lance stood at.

While most were focussed on the pool, Lance once again caught his colleague's eye and cautiously flashed Joe a glimpse at the box in his hand. The choking sound from the detective could be heard across the pool and Lance couldn't stop the smile from splitting his face.

'What the hell are you doing Oliver?' Felicity propped her shades on top of her head, frowning at her boyfriend in irritation and confusion.

'Lance?' Oliver turned and held out his hand. The box glinted in the sun on it's way across the gap to Oliver all sound seemingly vanishing as the gathered crowd realised what was about to happen.

'Felicity...' Oliver opened the box, turning it to a now crying, blonde, 'I love you, I owe everything to you. Everything I have is because of you and your strength. You have saved me more times than I can possibly count. Will you do me the ultimate honour and be my wife?'

Felicity's sob was too much for her hand to contain, 'Yes! God Yes!'

An ear splitting scream burst from the hot tub, Donna flailing her arms in the air and screaming with excitement for her daughter. The sound was quickly joined by the rest of the makeshift family's loud cheers , although the newly engaged couple didn't register the glee. Slipping the ring on Felicity's finger Oliver quickly leant over and kissed his fiancé quickly before he was pulled away from Felicity by people wanting to swoon over the ring.

'No heads up for your brother?' Diggle slapped Oliver on the back, pulling him in for a hug, 'Really?'

'You gave Lance warning but not us!' Barry Allen huffed, 'Superheroes before... Non superheroes dude!'

'Hold your horses,' Lance stepped in to defend Oliver, 'He didn't tell me anything, I am a police captain trained to spot behavioural patterns in people. Queen was screaming signals louder than Sara's canary cry choker.'

'Fair enough,' Barry shrugged, his attention turning back to Oliver, 'Dude...'

Lance stepped away from the chaos, spotting Joe by the grill. Walking over he snagged a hot dog off the tray and took a bite.

'Good catch,' Joe's hand hovered near to Lance, a new soda can gripped in his fingers. Lance swallowed his mouthful and shrugged.

'Wasn't hard to spot if you were looking,' Lance watched the excitement, 'About time he stepped up don't you think?'

'Long past it,' Joe flipped over the burgers on the grill, 'made me wonder if he was ever going to ask her.'

'Loss does that to a person,' Lance sighed, thinking about the tragic link connecting Oliver with the two men, 'Queen's lost too much, sometime I don't understand how he's still able to function...'

'Because he loves her and she loves him,' Ronnie Raymond snagged a burger from the grill with his bare hand, 'Trust me, from someone who knows about being grounded by the love of a beautiful woman. Cait doesn't see firestorm, or minds that whatever Klein does or feel, it influences me to a degree. She still sees me and that's near the top of the list of things I love about her.'

Ronnie chuckled at the surprised looks from Joe and Lance, a finger tapping his head, 'Being mentally linked with an older, much smarter dude can be a good thing sometimes.'

Lance watched the flammable hero swagger off towards where his wife stood beside Felicity with a frown, 'That must be a weird situation to be in don't you think?'

'I try not to, too confusing for me,' Joe glanced up, 'speaking of confusing, is it just me or does Ronnie look a little like Oliver?'

Two silver accented heads tipped sideways, police trained eyes studying the grinning men.

'Nah,' Lance shook his head, swallowed the last of the hot dog in his mouth and slapped Joe on the back before heading over to give a beaming Felicity a firm hug.

'If he hurts you,' Lance whispered in her ear, 'Superhero or not, I'm owning his ass.'

'His ass is mine...' Felicity groaned at the hearty laugh, 'Not what I mean and you know it Q, but I thank you anyway.'

'Mind if I cut in?' Oliver quipped, 'She is my fiancé after all.'

'Fiancé... That has a nice ring to it,' Felicity's face lit up, her arm curling around Olivers back as she leant into him.

'I know,' Oliver kissed her head softly, 'I know this is rather strange, but I'd like to re-introduce you to Mom and Dad?'

'Makes perfect sense,' Felicity let Oliver guide her away, a stunning smile sent over her shoulder to Lance just before the two disappeared into the trees.

'I can't believe my baby's engaged!' Donna Smoak seemed to vibrate out of thin air beside Lance, 'God... Makes me feel old.'

Lance sighed and wrapped his arm around Donna. He wasn't quite sure what was going on between the two, but he found the shorter woman's exuberance at life refreshing and uplifting, 'If you're old, then I'm ancient.'

'You weren't ancient last night,' Donna smirked saucily.

'Behave,' Lance rolled his eyes at the blonde woman. Eyeing a nearby lounger, he guided Donna towards it, the two happily draped across it when Oliver and Felicity eventually returned to the party that carried on long into the night.


End file.
